PROMISE
KEEPERS: IS IT EVER RIGHT TO JUDGE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND
RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS?

PART II

THE
NECESSITY OF JUDGING RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS SUCH AS PROMISE KEEPERS
AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS SUCH AS THE LEADERS OF PROMISE KEEPERS

By
Wayne Camp

INTRODUCTION

In the last article we considered
eleven reasons why Promise Keepers must be judged by the Word of
God. Discerning Christians must look into and judge such a
movement before approving or disapproving it. When I first began
research on this movement it was at the suggestion of a brother
in the ministry. I had not given much thought to the movement and
had no conception of its doctrines and practices. Therefore, I
entered upon the study with very little prejudice. I say very
little because I have questions about any organization trying to
carry out the Lords work outside the auspices of a local,
visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The more I have studied
this group the more I am convinced that it is one of the most
deceptive, seductive, and effective tools Satan has ever devised
for luring folks away from doctrinal truth.

Let us now take a general look at
the matter of judging of religious leaders and movements. Is it
right to judge them by the Word of God? Is it necessary to judge
them by the Word of God?

In the last issue I gave reasons
for judging PKs by the Word of God. Now, let me give some reasons
why discerning Christians must submit all religious leaders and
movements to judgment by the Word of God. Since PKs is nowhere
mentioned in the Bible, we must simply consider religious leaders
in general and then those principles which are set forth in
Scripture may be applied to any movement, including PKs.
According to the Word of God, there are several reasons why we
must judge religious leaders and movements.

THE
MANY FALSE PROPHETS NECESSITATE JUDGING

One thing which necessitates
judging of religious leaders and movements is that many false
prophets and movements are in the world. 1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world. Here, John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls
on us to try the spirits to determine if they are
of God or not. The reason for this is that many false prophets
are gone out into the world. The word translated try
in this verse means judge. It will be discussed
more in our third article on this subject. We are to try the
spirits, judge the spirits by which false teachers work. In our
courts when a person is tried he is judged. The whole purpose of
a trial is to arrive at a judgment on a persons guilt or
innocence. In Scriptural terminology, the word try
is used in the same manner. To try the spirits is to judge the
spirits and this requires judging those who are motivated by
those spirits.

I hope no one is so dull in their
understanding that they believe these false teachers are going to
identify themselves as such. No! They will identify themselves as
servants of Christ. They will speak often in his name. They will
claim to be Spirit led, Spirit filled, and Spirit sent. If they
came saying, "We are of the Devil," or "We are
starting a new movement for which there is no Scriptural
foundation," there would be no need to try them as we are
instructed. The reason we are to try them, judge them, and prove
them is because they parade as ministers of Christ and ministers
of righteousness and many follow their pernicious ways. "And
no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

FALSE
PROPHETS WHO COME IN SHEEPS CLOTHING NECESSITATE JUDGMENT

Jesus warned of false prophets and
the necessity of our being able to identify them. Matthew
7:15-20 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know
them by their fruits . . . 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall
know them. If we are forbidden to judge, we could never
discern who these false prophets are. You see, Dear Readers,
these false prophets come in "sheeps
clothing." They look like Christians. They act like
Christians. They talk like Christians. They may be as deceptive
as Judas Iscariot was, but they are still wolves in sheeps
clothing.

FALSE
TEACHERS WHO ARE VERY DECEPTIVE NECESSITATE JUDGMENT

Many deceivers continue to come
along parading themselves as genuine Christians. 2 John 7
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichrist. They were around during the days of the
apostles. The way John tells us to judge them is to examine their
message. In the case he mentions in our text there were those who
were denying the incarnation of Christ in human flesh.

Did you know that there have been
some down through the ages who wore the name Christian, who, in
many of their doctrines adhered to strict biblical doctrines on
such things as baptism and the church? But, they believed in what
was called the "phantastic" theory of
Christs earthly life. They believed that the man Christ
Jesus was really a "phantasm."He
did not truly have a human body. I was reading of a sect of these
people who lived in Bosnia and Bulgaria several hundred years
ago. They were identified by the same name as some of those with
whom I identify as forerunners of true Baptists of this day. Yet,
though they have all the appearance of being Christians, their
message, when judged by the Word of God, identifies them as
heretics and false prophets. John is very harsh in his judgment
of them. He calls them deceivers and antichrists.

FALSE
PROPHETS WHO INFILTRATE CHRISTIANITY AND EVEN TRUE CHURCHES OF
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NECESSITATE JUDGMENT

False prophets creep into
Christianity and even into the Lords churches and we must
be on guard against them. 2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil
spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned
words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

What a denunciation! What a
judgment of false teachers by the Apostle Peter!!!! He does not
hesitate to declare them to be false prophets and false teachers.
Their doctrines he calls "damnable heresies."
Their ways, their practices, he calls "pernicious."
Their ways are dangerous, destructive, wicked, and detrimental.
By these the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. One of the
goals of PKs is to remove all doctrinal distinctives of the
churches except those few doctrines they teach. They speak evil
of any doctrine which is not included in theirs because, they
say, "It is divisive to the body of Christ." As I
pointed out in the previous article, denomination barriers are
build on distinctive doctrines. If the barriers are destroyed,
the doctrinal foundation upon which they are built must also be
destroyed.

EVIL
MEN AND SEDUCERS WHO LEAD INTO ERROR AND WHO WILL GET WORSE
NECESSITATE JUDGMENT

Evil men and seducers who lead
into false doctrine will wax worse and worse as time goes on
toward the return of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:13 But evil
men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived. These seducers deceive others into believing
they are of Christ and many will follow their pernicious ways as
Peter said in the previous passage. These seducers are themselves
being deceived by Satan into thinking they are doing
Christs service. Note that they are not only
deceiving others, they are themselves being
deceived. Satan is very deceptive and may be the source
of their deception. Sometimes men deceive themselves. Sometimes
God himself may delude false teachers into believing their lies
because they have no love of truth in the first place. 2
Thessalonians 2:10-12 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this
cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not
the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

If, as these loving PKs who have
been writing to me claim, we are not to judge those who claim to
be of Christ we would all go blindly along being deceived by
these deceivers. God gave us his Word by which to judge them and
it behooves us to do so.

One reason these deceivers reject
all sound doctrine and discount its importance is because they
have never received a love of the truth. The reason that Promise
Keepers is so determined to break down denominational
distinctions is because they have no love for the truth that
distinguishes between true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the many false movements in the world. It is easy for those who
have no love of doctrinal truth to believe a lie as do most
Promise Keepers.

MANY
DEPART FROM THE TRUE FAITH OF SCRIPTURE NECESSITATING JUDGMENT

The Holy Spirit has warned of
these false teachers. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
In Scripture there is a system of faith laid down for us to
follow. This has to do with our salvation and our service. We do
not have the prerogative to choose what we want to follow and
sweep the rest under the rug. The very call of PKs to break down
all doctrinal and denominational barriers is a "red
flag" to any discerning Christian who loves the Bible. If
you break down denominational walls, of necessity you must bread
down doctrinal walls. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together,
except they be agreed? If I would walk together with a
baby-baptizer in PKs, I would have to lay aside the Biblical
doctrine of the baptism of believers only. If I would walk
together with a Pentecostal in PKs I must lay aside my belief
that the spiritual gifts of healing, tongues, and others were
done away when the Bible was finished. I would also have to
abandon the truth of the perseverance and preservation of the
saints because that is a barrier to my fellowship with many who
claim to be Christians. If I were to walk together with a
Catholic in PKs, I would have to abandon the biblical doctrine
that Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and man for
Catholics believe others may serve as mediators. These are just a
few of the things that are affected by tearing down
denominational barriers. Denominational barriers are essentially
doctrinal barriers. You cant get rid of the denominational
barriers if you maintain the doctrinal barriers for two cannot
walk together unless they are in agreement.

These false teachers transform
themselves into ministers of Christ just as their leader, Satan,
has transformed himself into an angel of light. 2
Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works.

I again point out that one does
not have to be stupid to understand that these men do not go
about announcing that they are merely pretending to be apostles
of Christ. These false apostles and deceitful workers do every
thing they possibly can to appear to be genuine apostles of
Christ. They talk the talk and walk the walk but they are only
following the deceitful example of the arch-deceiver himself who
is transformed into an angel of light. One can just expect that
his ministers will also be transformed as ministers of
righteousness.

Identifying these deceitful men
requires skill in the use of the Word of God. And, it requires
the guts to be willing to take the criticism one will endure if
he dares take a stand and judge these men by the Word. But, it
must be done. God says "To the law and to the
testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).
Since God calls on his people to come out and be separate from
false churches and teachers, if you hear someone calling on
everybody to get together, beware for "they speak not
according to this word." Since the Word of God
teaches that two cannot walk together except they be agreed and
you hear someone calling on "Christians" to walk
together without agreement on many biblical doctrines, beware,
for, "they speak not according to this word."
If you hear someone touting an organization such as PKs that is
not ordained and set forth in the Word of God, beware, for, "they
speak not according to this word."

Jude warns of these and speaks of
their judgment. Jude 10-13 But these speak evil of those
things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as
brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe
unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in
the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of
charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without
fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds;
trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked
up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their
own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of
darkness for ever.

There are three typical errors
found in this discussion of false teachers.

First, they have gone the way of Cain.
The way of Cain is the way of works. This is what I can do. When
Adam and Eve realized they were naked, they made themselves
clothing of fig leaves. They sought to cover their own nakedness.
Calling on men to make and keep promises is very much like this.
God never commanded us to make and keep promises to him or to
others. He simply calls on us to walk by faith in obedience to
his word for the just shall live by faith. I have asked a number
of PKs who have written to me to show me where God ever commanded
men to make promises. Not one has produced the Scripture. God is
the great Promiser. And God is the great Promise Keeper. Man is
cautioned against making vows and promises. I will ask again for
a Scripture which teaches the doctrine that is the foundation of
the PKs movement. I am asking for the Scripture where men are
commanded to make promises as advocated by PKs. And, I ask for
the Scriptures that support the specific seven promises the PKs
laud so loudly.

Second, false teachers run greedily after
the error of Balaam for reward. I have examined the salaries of
the leaders of Promise Keepers and several of them make
approximately $100,000 per year. The organization takes in
millions each year. How strange that such a money-oriented
organization and its high-salaried officers could claim to be
servants of the one who did not have a place to lay his head. One
has only to examine the record of false teachers such as Jimmy
Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Bakkar, and others to see this greedy
spirit of Balaam at work just as it is at work in the PKs
movement.

Third, false teachers are infected with
the gainsaying of Korah. Korah (Core, as it is spelled here)
cried out against the God appointed, God-called Moses because
Moses and Aaron were Gods spokesmen and Korah and his
cohorts felt this should be broadened. PKs, while claiming to be
friends of the local church, are seeking to usurp the work of
those churches. They do this in their cries to destroy
denominational barriers and compromise on doctrines for the sake
of a pseudo-unity that is truly no unity for two cannot walk
together except they be agreed.

As Korah and his cohorts, PKs have
apparently targeted Pastors who do not support them for applying
of pressure. I have heard from two other brethren who have
anti-PKs articles on the WWW and they have been aggressively
attacked in recent weeks just as I have. The spirit of Korah has
infected PKs and they feel they should usurp the authority of the
local church and attack the pastors of local churches if we do
not fall in line with them.

THE
SUBTLETY AND CLEVERNESS OF THESE FALSE TEACHERS NECESSITATE
JUDGMENT

These false teachers creep in so
subtly that many Christians are unaware of their presence. In
fact, the new and untrained Christian will likely think they are
true Christian ministers. Jude 4 For there are certain men
crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ. When Jude set out to write this book, it was in
his heart to write to them of the common salvation. Jude 3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints. But, the Holy Spirit
compelled him in another directionthe warning of and
exposure of false teachers who had clandestinely and
surreptitiously slipped in among them. These are men who were
before of old ordained to condemnation but here they are found in
a church of the Lord Jesus Christ wreaking their havoc. These
men, though feigning themselves to be Christians, are ungodly men
who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. It takes
discernment, judgment, and trying of the spirits to discover
their real identity as ministers of Satan who have transformed
themselves as ministers of Christ.

THE
PERVERTED GOSPEL PREACHED BY THESE FALSE TEACHERS NECESSITATES
JUDGMENT

These false teachers preach a
perverted gospel. Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so
soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some
that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let
him be accursed. Paul minces no words. If men pervert the
gospel in the least iota, they teach a perverted gospel. And he
desires that any perverters of the gospel be accursed, or cut
off. In a coming article, I will take an example of the gospel
preached by PKs and show that it is indeed another gospel
proclaiming another Christ. That must wait, for now, but it will
be forthcoming, God willing. These men who had crept into the
Galatian churches were so subtle and sly that the Galatians did
not detect their error. They had subtly bewitched the Galatians.
Those false teachers in the world today are so subtle that they
often bewitch true believers in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not
obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been
evidently set forth, crucified among you? They had been
hoodood, voodood, hood winked, deceived and seduced by these
ministers of Satan who had transformed themselves into apostles
of Christ.

When you consider the speakers at
PKs rallies one is forced to say that those who flock to and
attend these rallies are people who are easily tossed about with
every wind of doctrine that is set forth by those who lie in wait
to deceive. Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive. Some of the speakers are
from the demonic movement called The Vineyard. At
least one Catholic has spoken. It is a motley array with divers
doctrines. Every wind of doctrine is represented.

I have been assured by several PKs
that the objectionable doctrines which these men hold are not
preached at PKs rallies. This is even more reason to be alerted
to the error of this movement. While they may not preach their
doctrines at these meetings, this array of religious leaders
still hold them and are only compromising by their silence. It is
just more evidence that this movement is extremely dangerous
because its leaders and speakers are terribly deceptive.

CONCLUSION
OF PART II

It is evident from the Word of God
that there is a real and Scriptural necessity for judging
religious movements as well as their leaders. Any movement that
is of God has no objection to being judged by the Word of God.
The objection of PKs leaders and participants to being judged by
the Word of God is evidence there needs to be a trying of the
spirits by which they are motivated and moved. I can speak for
myself and the church I pastor when I invite PKs to take those
articles on our WebSite in which we set forth our doctrines and
examine them, try them, and judge them by the Word of God. We are
willing to be submitted to the same principles by which we judge
PKs and other movements and leaders. The fervor with which
Promise Keepers oppose being submitted to judgment by the Word of
God is all the more reason why discerning Christians should judge
them.

Several years ago I was traveling
in Illinois. I stopped at a country grocery store and bought two
six-packs of Diet Pepsis. I put them in an ice box and took one
that was already in the ice box out to drink. I had hardly gotten
back on the road when I was stopped by a state policeman. He
said, "I saw you buy something back there that I thought was
beer and saw you drinking a can of something as you pulled out of
the parking lot of the store. What did you buy. I showed him my
can of Pepsi and invited him to check my icebox and see what was
in it. My willingness to have him do so caused him to thank me
for my cooperation and he did not even look in my icebox. I was
not afraid of an investigation or search because I knew he would
find no beer in my truck, nor in the tool trailer I was pulling.
There was no beer in my possession. If I had had some beer in
that icebox and if I had been drinking beer I would have been
opposed to a search.

Promise Keepers do not want to be
questioned, tried, or judged by the Word of God. I suspect they
know that such an investigation would turn up evidence that they
do not measure up to biblical standards. So they cry,
"Dont judge us! Dont judge us! Dont
investigate our doctrines. Just love us and ignore our errors and
doctrinal deficiencies."

But, discerning Christians must
judge them for only then can we determine if they are of Satan or
of God. When they are weighed in the balances against the Word of
God they are found sadly wanting.